Dynamic action recorder

• US 8,255,799 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Kintzley, Randy, Brown, Hans-Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMAR, ANIL N
• Application Number:
  US12/040,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704
• US Class Current: 715/704
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture obtain user input during a playback of a macro. A series of user actions are recorded in the form of a macro. A representation of the user actions is displayed. The representation provides nodes that each represent the user actions. One of the nodes is selected and configured by the user to request additional user input relating to a parameter of the selected node during playback of the macro. The macro is played back and automatically pauses at the selected node. User input is obtained and the macro automatically continues execution utilizing the user input for the parameter of the selected node. Additionally, one or the user actions includes a selection of objects. As part of the recorded macro, references to the selected objects are stored in a non-graphical manner. During playback, objects are selected based on the stored references.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing input during a playback of a macro, comprising:

recording a macro comprised of a series of user actions;

after completing the recording, displaying, on a display device, a representation of the user actions comprised of one or more nodes that each represent one or more of the user actions in the series, wherein the one or more nodes are arranged in a hierarchical manner with each node representing a command and each of one or more subsets of each node comprise a parameter for the command;

selecting, in the representation, one of the nodes;

in response to the selecting of one of the nodes, displaying a dialog box, wherein the dialog box comprises one or more user selectable menu options, wherein each menu option defines a different methodology for determining how a value of a parameter of the selected node is determined during playback of the macro;

configuring the selected node by selecting one of the one or more user selectable menu options defining how a value of a parameter of the selected node is determined during playback of the macro;

playing back the macro;

pausing the macro at the selected node;

obtaining the value in accordance with the configuring selected menu option; and

continue playing back the macro utilizing the value for the parameter of the selected node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of user actions comprise creating geometry in a drawing program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defining comprises requesting user input relating to the parameter and the user input comprises an identification of a location in a drawing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the defining comprises requesting user input relating to the parameter and the user input comprises a size of the geometry.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the series of user actions comprises creating multiple geometries in the drawing program; and

a relative positioning between the geometries created in the drawing is maintained during playback of the macro.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

a vector offset between two of the geometries is generated and stored during the recording; and

the vector offset is used to maintain the relative positioning during playback of the macro.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selected node is for selecting one or more objects; and

in response to the selecting of the node, the configuring comprises displaying a dialog box; and

the dialog box comprises menu options for;

inserting a message to be displayed to a user;

requesting user input to select the one or more objects during playback;

using a pick first set that utilizes objects that were previously selected as the one or more objects;

macro-created object selection wherein only objects created as part of execution of the macro are selected; and

re-specifying a new selection set for the one or more objects.

7. A computer implemented method for reliably playing back objects selected in a macro comprising:

(a) recording a macro comprised of a series of user actions, wherein;

(i) one or more of the user actions comprises a selection of one or more objects displayed on a display device;

(ii) when the one or more objects are selected, the one or more objects are already existing objects that are displayed in a drawing program; and

(ii) the one or more objects comprise geometry in the drawing program;

(b) as part of the recorded macro, storing references to the one or more selected objects in a non-graphical manner, wherein the storing comprises;

(i) determining whether the one or more selected objects are newer than a most recently created object, wherein the determining is based on object identifiers that are created sequentially for each object; and

(ii) if the one or more selected objects are newer than the most recently created object, generating and storing one or more offsets as the references, wherein each offset comprises a difference between an object identifier for a most recently created object and one of the selected objects; and

(c) playing back the macro, wherein objects are selected during playback based on the stored references.

8. An apparatus for providing input during a playback of a macro in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory;

(b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to;

(i) record a macro comprised of a series of user actions;

(ii) subsequent to the application recording the macro, display, on a display device, a representation of the user actions comprised of one or more nodes that each represent one or more of the user actions in the series, wherein the one or more nodes are arranged in a hierarchical manner with each node representing a command and each of one or more subsets of each node comprise a parameter for the command;

(iii) select, in the representation, one of the nodes;

(iv) in response to the selection of one of the nodes, display a dialog box, wherein the dialog box comprises one or more user selectable menu options, wherein each menu option defines a different methodology for determining how a value of a parameter of the selected node is determined during playback of the macro;

(v) configure the selected node by selecting one of the one or more user selectable menu options defining how a value of a parameter of the selected node is determined during playback of the macro;

(vi) play back the macro;

(vii) pause the macro at the selected node;

(viii) obtain the value in accordance with the configuring; and

(viiiix) continue playback of the macro utilizing the value for the parameter of the selected node.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the series of user actions comprise creating geometry in a drawing program.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the defining comprises requesting user input relating to the parameter and the user input comprises an identification of a location in a drawing.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the defining comprises requesting user input relating to the parameter and the user input comprises a size of the geometry.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the series of user actions comprises creating multiple geometries in the drawing program; and

a relative positioning between the geometries created in the drawing is maintained during playback of the macro.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

a vector offset between two of the geometries is generated and stored during the recording; and

the vector offset is used to maintain the relative positioning during playback of the macro.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the selected node is for selecting one or more objects; and

in response to the selecting of the node, the application is configured to configure the selected node by displaying a dialog box; and

the dialog box comprises menu options for;

inserting a message to be displayed to a user;

requesting user input to select the one or more objects during playback;

using a pick first set that utilizes objects that were previously selected as the one or more objects;

macro-created object selection wherein only objects created as part of execution of the macro are selected; and

re-specifying a new selection set for the one or more objects.

14. An apparatus for reliably playing back objects selected in a macro in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory;

(b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to;

(i) record a macro comprised of a series of user actions, wherein;

(1) one or more of the user actions comprises a selection of one or more objects displayed on a display device;

(2) when the one or more objects are selected, the one or more objects are already existing objects that are displayed in a drawing program; and

(3) the one or more objects comprise geometry in the drawing program;

(ii) as part of the recorded macro, store references to the one or more selected objects in a non-graphical manner, wherein the references are stored by;

(i) determining whether the one or more selected objects are newer than a most recently created object, wherein the determining is based on object identifiers that are created sequentially for each object; and

(ii) if the one or more selected objects are newer than the most recently created object, generating and storing one or more offsets as the references, wherein each offset comprises a difference between an object identifier for a most recently created object and one of the selected objects; and

(iii) playback the macro, wherein objects are selected during playback based on the stored references.